pprandom
2016-05-06, 12:33 AM
Q: Why do you insist in D&D 3.5?
A: I have some of the books, players that know the rules; what I don't have is the time and money for a whole new system.
Q: Why these particular changes?
A: My mindset to the game has always focused on roleplaying, teamwork, storytelling and challenge, not power fantasies "I have nothing against those but I just keep them to myself". D&D 3.5 classes power-levels are (broadly) based on how many spells they have access to; so i tried simple spell limiting house rules that would affect classes proportionately to how dependant on spells they are.
Q: Wouldn't it been easier to just change this rule?
A: Maybe. When making the changes i though about two things: First, how can i balance this without changing any numeric rule; second how would this change be interpreted in the in-game reality. So i tried to use more roleplaying solutions than actual rule changing.
Q: You changed a lot of the spells, and those are just PHB spells...
A: Yeah, i didn't want to but some of them required at least some reinterpretation. My biggest issues were miss chance spells, and spells that made character skills useless.
Q: What is the point of you sharing this?
A: Who knows, I have done the job already for my sessions so might as well upload it somewhere.
Q: Do you use any campaign setting?
A: Forgotten Realms (since i used it too during AD&D 2ed).
Q: Your grammar is quite odd.
A: English is not may main language, so sorry about that.
Q: The forum format is hard to follow
A: Sorry about that too, i have a wordpad version I might upload it somewhere if someone wants it.
Q: I think you're a total idiot and should go away.
A: Maybe this is not the type of house rules you're searching for i pressume.
__________________________________________________ ________
HOUSE RULES
1- Every day spellcasters (any class with spell progression) will make a dice roll. The maximum level of spell they'll regain/memorize will be: d20 + attribute bonus - 15. For example, If the roll result is 18, you will be able to memorize only spells from level 0 to 3.
"This rule may seem hash, but remember, some spellcasters end up having 20 or more spell slots at low-medium levels, more than enough to last for a couple of days. This way you can challenge spellcasters without the necesity of forcing ten encounters in a single day for them to run out of spells. The rule will also limit considerably the abusive nature of higher level spells and add a layer of strategy to them."
Opcional, you can use some modifiers to the roll. Penalizations if the character is unrested or if they are at odds with their faith; or bonuses after talking with wise people for a while or performing some service to their faith.
2- Remove all wands; replace them with easily consumable items; potions, scrolls. "Makes character spells crucial to the survival of a group."
3- Miss chances do not stack; use the biggest or make the latest one casted replace the one before it. "Just for balance sake". This includes spells like Blur,Displacement, Mirror Image, etc.
4- Skills: Spells that give a skill bonus do not stack with your skill roll bonus; in other words you can roll with the spell bonus (only), or with your regular skill use (attribute, ranks, etc).
5- Magic healing: it restores the characters vitality instead of curing wounds. Basically it lasts 24 hours, the next morning characters will lose the magical heals and awoke healed just by their corresponding natural healing amount, characters below 0 hp will require to be stabilized if they were thanks to magic healing. "Think of it as a magical stimpack"
6- Animal companion: The stats enhancements will only apply as long as the creature is within 100 yards of the character. Animal companions will only act based on the tricks they know, beyond that it will still act as an animal and can cause serious trouble if left unatended.
7- Skills beyond Saving throws: Saves are a reflect like action towards an effect. Add the proactive use of ranked skills to deal with some spell effects (beyond the spell descrition), use the spell caster level plus attribute for CD of course. Examples, spot to deal with some illusion sort of effects, escapism for grasping effects, etc. "Adds a less restrictive response to spells, apply common sense to regulate it"
8- Divine spell failure: Given by armors and shields, it equals arcane failure divided by 5 (twice that amount for druids, explorers or other nature oriented casters). Casting a spell will require at least a fail porcentage equal to the spell level. "For example 7% (from the shield plus the armor) allows you to cast spells up to level 7"
8 bis- (Instead of spell failure)Breakable holy simbols: Make a save CD roll for every spell, if you get a natural 1 your holy symbol shatters if it is required as a DF. Requires going to a temple to consacrate a new one.
9- Manufactured armors and shields; duplicate the AC bonus they give. "Seems like a lot but it's not considering that mudium and heavy armors reduce your movement and gives you a big armor penilizer"
10- Other sources; even if you don't use many of them, consider compiling some feats related to the warrior classes from diferent books. "To make them a bit more playable at least"
__________________________________________________ ________
-- Spells revision: Below i added a list of spells that i found a bit problematic "they triggered me, sniff..." Use them at your own leisure. Some of the things considered, Conjuration(creation), modifies materials around the caster; Transmutation, does not gives the caster any sort of extra knowledge since it works as a tool for modifying reality. I added some aging effects to some spells, i consider the aging irreversible even by switching bodies "The aging will use percenteges of life expectancy, so elves don't get a free pass".
Player Handbook's spells
*Alter Self; requires a piece of the type of creature you will turn into as a reference, unless the character is very familiar with it (decided between PC and DM).
*Bigby's (any) Hand; use the strength and size bonus (not the caster level "it becomes basically unavoidable otherwise"). Requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect. Might want to add an escapism check to some of the grips.
*Blink; see note about miss chances. Can trigger ethereal plane encounters since it involves going in and out of that plane.
*Blur, see note about miss chances. It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses.
*Control Weather; not much, just take into account the repercussions of the spell on local populations.
*Create Food and Water; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Create Water; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Cure (any) Wounds; see note about magical healing.
*Displacement; see note about miss chances. It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses.
*Energy Drain; the caster ages 3% of their average life expectancy. "It gives permanent level drain, screw that!"
*Entropic Shield; see note about miss chances.
*Evard's Black Tentacles; tentacles only use the strength and size bonus, not the caster level.
*Heroes' Feast; only works inside a temple, holy ground, sanctuary or a local tavern (Bards). "Otherwise surviving will be too easy, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions and bards to improve morale"
*Leomund's Secure Shelter; requires the materials to be in the area the spell will affect, can be casted at a wrecked building for it to be temporarily get fixed.
*Limited Wish; determine a limit in words for the wish. "I like to limit it to 6 words"
*Mirror Image; see note about miss chances too. When cast the images appear around you in the adjacent 5' squares, those with no space to appear will not appear. To change position with one of the images requires the use of the 5' step and must be done in your turn. IMPORTANT: an image disapear when they are touched by anything physical bigger than a pellet, they are incorporeal, so creatures of at least of small size, can move into an area occupied by an image without trouble "unless you bump into the caster" an it will disapear (that will cause pertinent opportunity attack from the real wizard if aplicable). It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses. OTHER WAYS TO DETECT THE REAL CASTER include atmospheric visible particles (rain, sand, pebbles, blizzards; natural or thown on purpose); ground conditions that leave marks (water, snow, sand, dirt, tall grass; can be caused on purpose by throwing something at the ground). Also you might want to add markers like paint, flour, sheets on thr head, nets or other things that can reveal the real one. "Uff that was long, it's a 2 level spell so it can't be too powerful. You can consider adding a spot check against caster level if you really want to"
*Miracle; it requires permission from the deity itself to perform.
*Mordenkainen's Disjunction; the caster ages 7% its average life expectancy.
*Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion; must be casted at a building, it can be in good or bad shape almost wrecked. The main door of the building will serve as the location for the magical entrance and the whole interior will emulate a pristine version of the building including all the spell effects. The spell can actually have a bigger area than just what the building represents if the building itself is too small. To outsiders the original building remains the same. "Making the spell not abusable"
*Mordenkainen's Sword; requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect.
*Neutralize Poison; requires a sample of the poison affecting the objective.
*Planar Ally; negotiations do not always go smoothly.
*Polymorph Any Object; requires to touch a piece of the creature or object you want to shape the target into, might ingnore this for very common or very familiar things. Can never polymorph someting into a creature with bigger intelligence, wisdom or charisma than the caster. "Since magic is a shaping tool here, creating something that exceeds the character mental limitations is imposible for him"
*Polymorph Self; requires to touch a piece of the creature you want to shape yourself into, might ingnore this for very common or very familiar creatures.
*Purify Food and Drink; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Reverse Gravity; the edges of the spell allow creatures caught to stay suspended in air, allowing them to fall slowly towards either direction.
*Resist Energy; only one version of it can be actve at a given time, casting a new one will replace the previous one. The spell will resist the listed damage in total, not from every attack. "Say you have 30 resistance to acid and you take 12 points of acid damage, the spell will then resist 18 points of acid damage more before ending"
*Rope Trick; resting inside it causes fatigue and makes spell memorization almost imposible. Might also trigger some extraplanar encounter.
*Shapechange; requires a piece of the type of creature you will turn into unless the character is very familiar with it (decided between PC and DM), extraplanar creatures always requires a fresh piece of them plus a certain familiarity. The new form will not concede any spell (or spell like ability) corresponding to 7th level spells or higher, also if spell like abilities have limited uses or uses a spell progression of sort it will be considered already used.
*Simulacrum; any abilities the simulacrum uses will be illusory copies of the ones from the imitated creature. Creating one requires a lot of knowledge about the creature.
*Soften Earth and Stone; you do not sink into the earth. Mud makes it hard to walk and if you fall (reflex save) you just need to stand up, you do not get buried inside it. "No trapping people with dispel magic".
*Spiritual Weapon; requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect.
*Storm (fire, vengeance, etc.); must be casted outdoors, unless spell description states otherwise.
*Summon monster I - IX; can only have one of this spells active at a given time, casting another will replace the first. "Makes battles less of a mess and balances things a bit"
*Summon Nature's Ally I - IX; can only have one of this spells active at a given time, casting another will replace the first. "Makes battles less of a mess and balances things a bit"
*Time Stop; the spell does not stack with any other time altering effect (including itself). The caster ages 10% its average life expectancy.
*Wall of Iron; the spell reshapes crude iron in the area to a wall shaped structure. "It becomes very situational though"
*Wall of Stone; the spell reshapes natural rock or stone into a wall shaped structure.
*Whirlwind; must be casted in the outdoors.
*Wish; determine a limit in words for the wish. "I like to limit it to 6 words"
__________________________________________________ ________
Thank you for reading, hope you found something worth the time!
A: I have some of the books, players that know the rules; what I don't have is the time and money for a whole new system.
Q: Why these particular changes?
A: My mindset to the game has always focused on roleplaying, teamwork, storytelling and challenge, not power fantasies "I have nothing against those but I just keep them to myself". D&D 3.5 classes power-levels are (broadly) based on how many spells they have access to; so i tried simple spell limiting house rules that would affect classes proportionately to how dependant on spells they are.
Q: Wouldn't it been easier to just change this rule?
A: Maybe. When making the changes i though about two things: First, how can i balance this without changing any numeric rule; second how would this change be interpreted in the in-game reality. So i tried to use more roleplaying solutions than actual rule changing.
Q: You changed a lot of the spells, and those are just PHB spells...
A: Yeah, i didn't want to but some of them required at least some reinterpretation. My biggest issues were miss chance spells, and spells that made character skills useless.
Q: What is the point of you sharing this?
A: Who knows, I have done the job already for my sessions so might as well upload it somewhere.
Q: Do you use any campaign setting?
A: Forgotten Realms (since i used it too during AD&D 2ed).
Q: Your grammar is quite odd.
A: English is not may main language, so sorry about that.
Q: The forum format is hard to follow
A: Sorry about that too, i have a wordpad version I might upload it somewhere if someone wants it.
Q: I think you're a total idiot and should go away.
A: Maybe this is not the type of house rules you're searching for i pressume.
__________________________________________________ ________
HOUSE RULES
1- Every day spellcasters (any class with spell progression) will make a dice roll. The maximum level of spell they'll regain/memorize will be: d20 + attribute bonus - 15. For example, If the roll result is 18, you will be able to memorize only spells from level 0 to 3.
"This rule may seem hash, but remember, some spellcasters end up having 20 or more spell slots at low-medium levels, more than enough to last for a couple of days. This way you can challenge spellcasters without the necesity of forcing ten encounters in a single day for them to run out of spells. The rule will also limit considerably the abusive nature of higher level spells and add a layer of strategy to them."
Opcional, you can use some modifiers to the roll. Penalizations if the character is unrested or if they are at odds with their faith; or bonuses after talking with wise people for a while or performing some service to their faith.
2- Remove all wands; replace them with easily consumable items; potions, scrolls. "Makes character spells crucial to the survival of a group."
3- Miss chances do not stack; use the biggest or make the latest one casted replace the one before it. "Just for balance sake". This includes spells like Blur,Displacement, Mirror Image, etc.
4- Skills: Spells that give a skill bonus do not stack with your skill roll bonus; in other words you can roll with the spell bonus (only), or with your regular skill use (attribute, ranks, etc).
5- Magic healing: it restores the characters vitality instead of curing wounds. Basically it lasts 24 hours, the next morning characters will lose the magical heals and awoke healed just by their corresponding natural healing amount, characters below 0 hp will require to be stabilized if they were thanks to magic healing. "Think of it as a magical stimpack"
6- Animal companion: The stats enhancements will only apply as long as the creature is within 100 yards of the character. Animal companions will only act based on the tricks they know, beyond that it will still act as an animal and can cause serious trouble if left unatended.
7- Skills beyond Saving throws: Saves are a reflect like action towards an effect. Add the proactive use of ranked skills to deal with some spell effects (beyond the spell descrition), use the spell caster level plus attribute for CD of course. Examples, spot to deal with some illusion sort of effects, escapism for grasping effects, etc. "Adds a less restrictive response to spells, apply common sense to regulate it"
8- Divine spell failure: Given by armors and shields, it equals arcane failure divided by 5 (twice that amount for druids, explorers or other nature oriented casters). Casting a spell will require at least a fail porcentage equal to the spell level. "For example 7% (from the shield plus the armor) allows you to cast spells up to level 7"
8 bis- (Instead of spell failure)Breakable holy simbols: Make a save CD roll for every spell, if you get a natural 1 your holy symbol shatters if it is required as a DF. Requires going to a temple to consacrate a new one.
9- Manufactured armors and shields; duplicate the AC bonus they give. "Seems like a lot but it's not considering that mudium and heavy armors reduce your movement and gives you a big armor penilizer"
10- Other sources; even if you don't use many of them, consider compiling some feats related to the warrior classes from diferent books. "To make them a bit more playable at least"
__________________________________________________ ________
-- Spells revision: Below i added a list of spells that i found a bit problematic "they triggered me, sniff..." Use them at your own leisure. Some of the things considered, Conjuration(creation), modifies materials around the caster; Transmutation, does not gives the caster any sort of extra knowledge since it works as a tool for modifying reality. I added some aging effects to some spells, i consider the aging irreversible even by switching bodies "The aging will use percenteges of life expectancy, so elves don't get a free pass".
Player Handbook's spells
*Alter Self; requires a piece of the type of creature you will turn into as a reference, unless the character is very familiar with it (decided between PC and DM).
*Bigby's (any) Hand; use the strength and size bonus (not the caster level "it becomes basically unavoidable otherwise"). Requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect. Might want to add an escapism check to some of the grips.
*Blink; see note about miss chances. Can trigger ethereal plane encounters since it involves going in and out of that plane.
*Blur, see note about miss chances. It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses.
*Control Weather; not much, just take into account the repercussions of the spell on local populations.
*Create Food and Water; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Create Water; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Cure (any) Wounds; see note about magical healing.
*Displacement; see note about miss chances. It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses.
*Energy Drain; the caster ages 3% of their average life expectancy. "It gives permanent level drain, screw that!"
*Entropic Shield; see note about miss chances.
*Evard's Black Tentacles; tentacles only use the strength and size bonus, not the caster level.
*Heroes' Feast; only works inside a temple, holy ground, sanctuary or a local tavern (Bards). "Otherwise surviving will be too easy, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions and bards to improve morale"
*Leomund's Secure Shelter; requires the materials to be in the area the spell will affect, can be casted at a wrecked building for it to be temporarily get fixed.
*Limited Wish; determine a limit in words for the wish. "I like to limit it to 6 words"
*Mirror Image; see note about miss chances too. When cast the images appear around you in the adjacent 5' squares, those with no space to appear will not appear. To change position with one of the images requires the use of the 5' step and must be done in your turn. IMPORTANT: an image disapear when they are touched by anything physical bigger than a pellet, they are incorporeal, so creatures of at least of small size, can move into an area occupied by an image without trouble "unless you bump into the caster" an it will disapear (that will cause pertinent opportunity attack from the real wizard if aplicable). It does not affect creatures dependant on smell, hearing, infravision (while in the dark) or other non-conventional senses. OTHER WAYS TO DETECT THE REAL CASTER include atmospheric visible particles (rain, sand, pebbles, blizzards; natural or thown on purpose); ground conditions that leave marks (water, snow, sand, dirt, tall grass; can be caused on purpose by throwing something at the ground). Also you might want to add markers like paint, flour, sheets on thr head, nets or other things that can reveal the real one. "Uff that was long, it's a 2 level spell so it can't be too powerful. You can consider adding a spot check against caster level if you really want to"
*Miracle; it requires permission from the deity itself to perform.
*Mordenkainen's Disjunction; the caster ages 7% its average life expectancy.
*Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion; must be casted at a building, it can be in good or bad shape almost wrecked. The main door of the building will serve as the location for the magical entrance and the whole interior will emulate a pristine version of the building including all the spell effects. The spell can actually have a bigger area than just what the building represents if the building itself is too small. To outsiders the original building remains the same. "Making the spell not abusable"
*Mordenkainen's Sword; requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect.
*Neutralize Poison; requires a sample of the poison affecting the objective.
*Planar Ally; negotiations do not always go smoothly.
*Polymorph Any Object; requires to touch a piece of the creature or object you want to shape the target into, might ingnore this for very common or very familiar things. Can never polymorph someting into a creature with bigger intelligence, wisdom or charisma than the caster. "Since magic is a shaping tool here, creating something that exceeds the character mental limitations is imposible for him"
*Polymorph Self; requires to touch a piece of the creature you want to shape yourself into, might ingnore this for very common or very familiar creatures.
*Purify Food and Drink; only works inside a temple, holy ground or sanctuary. "It makes surviving easy otherwise, wich takes away challenge, and takes away fun. Instead think of it as a way for priests to provide for travelers or resist sieges without running out of provisions"
*Reverse Gravity; the edges of the spell allow creatures caught to stay suspended in air, allowing them to fall slowly towards either direction.
*Resist Energy; only one version of it can be actve at a given time, casting a new one will replace the previous one. The spell will resist the listed damage in total, not from every attack. "Say you have 30 resistance to acid and you take 12 points of acid damage, the spell will then resist 18 points of acid damage more before ending"
*Rope Trick; resting inside it causes fatigue and makes spell memorization almost imposible. Might also trigger some extraplanar encounter.
*Shapechange; requires a piece of the type of creature you will turn into unless the character is very familiar with it (decided between PC and DM), extraplanar creatures always requires a fresh piece of them plus a certain familiarity. The new form will not concede any spell (or spell like ability) corresponding to 7th level spells or higher, also if spell like abilities have limited uses or uses a spell progression of sort it will be considered already used.
*Simulacrum; any abilities the simulacrum uses will be illusory copies of the ones from the imitated creature. Creating one requires a lot of knowledge about the creature.
*Soften Earth and Stone; you do not sink into the earth. Mud makes it hard to walk and if you fall (reflex save) you just need to stand up, you do not get buried inside it. "No trapping people with dispel magic".
*Spiritual Weapon; requires a standard action to attack and movement action to redirect.
*Storm (fire, vengeance, etc.); must be casted outdoors, unless spell description states otherwise.
*Summon monster I - IX; can only have one of this spells active at a given time, casting another will replace the first. "Makes battles less of a mess and balances things a bit"
*Summon Nature's Ally I - IX; can only have one of this spells active at a given time, casting another will replace the first. "Makes battles less of a mess and balances things a bit"
*Time Stop; the spell does not stack with any other time altering effect (including itself). The caster ages 10% its average life expectancy.
*Wall of Iron; the spell reshapes crude iron in the area to a wall shaped structure. "It becomes very situational though"
*Wall of Stone; the spell reshapes natural rock or stone into a wall shaped structure.
*Whirlwind; must be casted in the outdoors.
*Wish; determine a limit in words for the wish. "I like to limit it to 6 words"
__________________________________________________ ________
Thank you for reading, hope you found something worth the time!